The number of wards in the town may be cut by three to 23. And the number of councillors could be cut by five to 48. The proposals are being considered on Tuesday by Middlesbrough Council's Cabinet.

If approved they will be put to the Local Government Commission, which is carrying out a review of ward boundaries in the borough.

The proposals have been drawn up to reflect the fall in population of the borough - it was 152,600 in 1976 and is now 143,800 - and to take into account the shift in population from town centre areas to the south of the borough.

The changes have also been designed to reflect the new political set up in the Town Hall, including the decision to have an elected Mayor from next May.

The proposed new ward set-up is:

WARD 1: Would have two councillors and include the town centre, Middlehaven, and the Riverside Industrial Estate. The northern boundary is the Tees and its southern boundary runs along the A66, turns right along Hartington Road and then left along Southfield Road before rejoining the A66 at its eastern end. Its projected population in 2006 is 4140.

WARD 2: Includes the traditional Gresham and Newport communities and the industrial and commercial area of Cannon Park. Its projected population is 6307 and it would have three councillors.

WARD 3: Contains the residential area lying to the south of the town centre, largely covered by the existing Southfield and Westbourne Ward. Its population would be 4206 and it would have two councillors.

WARD 4: Includes the communities of North Ormesby, the Boyds Estate and the Brambles Farm area. Its population would be 4545 and it would have two councillors.

WARD 5, 15, and 16: The area lying to the west of Acklam Road would be divided into three wards, each with two councillors. Ward 5 would cover the existing Ayresome ward, and would have a population of 4547. Ward 16 will cover most of the current Brookfield Ward and will have a population of 4610. Ward 15 will be bounded by Blue Bell Beck to the west and Acklam Road to the east and have a population of 4610.

WARDS 6 and 7: Cover the Linthorpe and Park area. Ward 6 will have a population of 6911 and have three councillors. Ward 7 will have a population of 4218 and have two councillors.

WARDS 8 and 12: Are to the north of a corridor bounded by Marton West Beck to the west and the Middlesbrough- Whitby rail line to the east. To the south is a large playing field and to the north is Longlands Road. The population of the area is 7,938 and it will be divided along Keith Road to give two wards with two councillors each.

WARD 11: Is similar to the existing Acklam ward. It would have a population of 4780 and two councillors.

WARD 17: Takes in the existing Easterside ward and the area to the south known as Marton Manor. It would have a population of 4522 and have two councillors.

WARD 18: Includes the existing Marton ward and includes a small area to the west of Marton Road that contains the village's church, church hall, cricket ground and pub.

WARDS 19 and 20: Cover the south western edge of the borough. Ward 19 includes the parish of Stainton and Thornton and residents in Hemlington living to the east of Stainton Way. The population would be 2337 and the ward would have one councillor. Ward 20, with a population of 4624, would cover the rest of Hemlington and have two councillors.

WARD 21: Is bounded by the Parkway in the north, Hemlington lane to the West, the borough boundary to the south and Marton West Beck to the east and has the Rainbow Centre at its heart. The three-councillor ward would have a population of 6758.

WARD 22: Is bounded by the Parkway in the north, Stokesley Road and Dixon's Bank to the east, the borough boundary in the south, and Marton West Beck to the east. It would have two councillors and a population of 4401.

WARD 23: Replicates the existing Nunthorpe Ward. It would have a population of 4004 and two councillors.

WARDS 9, 10, 13, and 14: These wards would each have two councillors and they form the area known as East Middlesbrough, with the exception of Brambles Farm, which is included in ward 4. Ward 9 - population 4667 - covers most of the existing Berwick Hills and Pallister Wards. Ward 10 takes in parts of Thorntree and Pallister wards and has a population of 4123. Ward 13 - population 3992 - would be bounded by the town boundary to the south, the railway line to the west, Ormesby Road to the east and the northern boundary runs along Ampleforth Road to Ormesby Road. Ward 14 - population 4564 - is similar to the existing Beckfields Ward.